Emigrate to australia: skilled workers wanted
![]() Emigrate to Australia where more than one in four workers Down Under were born in another country.
Since 1945, immigrants and their immediate descendants have accounted for over half of Australia’s population growth. The foreign-born population as a share of total population is higher in Australia than in any other OECD country, except for Luxembourg and Switzerland. “Australia is actively looking for skilled workers and will continue to need more workers for many years to come,” says Darrell Todd, founder of thinkingaustralia “Opportunities for migrants are increasing. Contact us today to find out how you could live and work in Australia”. Australia’s visa and immigration policies have changed a lot in recent years. They are now focused on skilled, working holiday and international student visas. Skilled migrants have boosted Australia’s ageing population, improved labour productivity, helped businesses to source skills that are difficult to find at short notice and addressed the needs of regional areas and industries. Unemployment among skilled immigrants is negligible because they tend to be employed in high-income occupations and contribute more to government revenue through taxation than they take through public services and benefits. Just as a steady inflow of immigrants has eased Australia’s shift from a manufacturing to a services economy, they will play an important role in helping Aussie businesses to innovate in the face of intensified global competition and technological change. Article Source: thinkingaustralia |
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![]() Each morning Bhajan Kaur gets up, makes tea and pedals away on her exercise bike. She sweeps the floor, dances to Bollywood music, and potters around the garden of her East Doncaster home. She shares it with her extended family, who she has lived with all her life. Bhajan is a gentle person whose intellectual disability means she cannot live independently. Luckily, her family have the means to support her at home and she is physically well. But they now face the very real prospect of a heartbreaking decision. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has refused Bhajan's application for permanent residency, saying her disability would make her a "significant health burden" to the Australian community. And the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Alex Hawke, has declined her family's appeal to intervene. So Bhajan will either have to return alone to her birthplace of Singapore, and go into an institution for the first time in her life, or, as is more likely, her family will be unwillingly broken up. Her brother will leave his wife and son (and job) in Australia to return with her to Singapore and an uncertain future. he case again raises the issue of disability in migration. Under Australian law, the migration act is exempt from the disability discrimination act. The immigration department says this policy is not discriminatory towards disabled people as all applicants must cost the taxpayer less than $40,000 in health care. Suresh Rajan, the president of the National Ethnic Disability Alliance, said he had dealt with about 25 cases of this nature in the past two years. Bhajan's entire family moved to Melbourne from Singapore in 2008, on a combination of skilled migration and tourist visas. "At least have the decency to spend 10 minutes with her. Jasvinder KaurJasvinder Kaur, Bhajan's sister-in-law, is a teacher in a Victorian school. Bhajan's brother (who can't be named for professional reasons) is a solicitor. They and their son, Balram, 18, are now Australian citizens. Bhajan's elderly mother, Gurtev Kaur, 77 - who has cared for her daughter all her life - has permanent residency. When they applied for Bhajan's permanent residency, they were told she would need to be assessed by a government-appointed medical insurer. "We took her to someone who understood Punjabi but he didn't even speak to her, he just noted she was 'moderately disabled'," says Jasvinder Kaur. The medical insurer advised Bhajan would be a "cost to the community", and this formed the basis for the department's decision not to grant her a visa. But her family says it will willingly absorb any medical costs Bhajan might have in her lifetime. Read More: smh
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![]() 18 November 2016 – Concluding his first official visit to Australia, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants said the country’s human rights standing has been tarnished by its “regressive” migration policies that fall “way behind” international standards. “The punitive approach adopted by Australia towards migrants who arrived by boat has served to erode their human rights,” said Special Rapporteur François Crépeau in a news release issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). “While Australia has the power to admit, deny entry or return migrants, it equally has an obligation to respect the human rights of all migrants in the process,” he added, noting that the country must respect the principles of non-refoulement, of non-discrimination and to act in the best interest of children. According to the Special Rapporteur, mandatory and prolonged on- and off-shore immigration detention, obstacles in accessing justice and basic services such as health care, and discrimination in all areas of life as a result of one’s immigration status or that of their family are causing “immense suffering” to the migrants, as well as taking a toll on their mental health. “The cure lies ultimately with Australia, which has the responsibility to settle those from the regional processing centres who are found to be refugees,” Mr. Crépeau stressed. “Any agreement regarding third country resettlement must be meaningful – in terms of numbers, timeliness and opportunities to rebuild – and adhere to Australia’s international humanitarian and human rights obligations.” Welcoming different visa options for migrants, including work visas, the UN rights expert cautioned that the temporary nature of such visas could increase the migrants’ vulnerability as they would often refrain from reporting, protesting and mobilising, in fear of having their visa cancelled, being detained or deported. “I came across information about the exploitation of backpackers on working holiday visas, as well as of asylum seekers on bridging visas and students by employers in Australia,” he said, calling for strong oversight mechanisms to combat such abuse. Increasing xenophobia in a country with rich history of migration is concerning The rights expert also voiced concern at an increase in xenophobia and hate speech, despite Australia’s rich history of migration. This, he said, has led to significant negative perceptions of migrants: “Politicians who have engaged in this negative discourse seem to have given permission to people on the street to act in xenophobic ways and to allow for the rise of nationalist populist groups.” Underscoring that Australia must work to fight xenophobia, discrimination and violence against migrants, in both acts and speech, Mr. Crépeau added: “Maintaining section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act sets the tone of an inclusive Australia, committed to implementing its multicultural policies and programmes and respecting, protecting and promoting the human rights of all.” Section 18C of the Act refers to addressing offensive behaviour against someone due to their race, colour, national or ethnic origin. Further in the news release, the expert hailed several migration policies adopted by the authorities, such as the resettlement program granting humanitarian protection to a high number of refugees and assisting them in their integration process, as well as the welcoming of 12,000 refugees from Syria. Regional processing centre in Nauru During his 18-day-long mission, the Special Rapporteur met with Government officials, civil society, trade unions, the country’s human rights commission as well as migrants themselves. He also visited on-shore detention centres and regional processing centres in the neighbouring island of Nauru. The human rights expert will present a formal report on this mission to the UN Human Rights Council in June next year. Independent experts and Special Rapporteurs are appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work. Article Source: un ![]() One of the underlying factors that influenced the outcome of last week’s US election result was the fundamental clash between globalists and nativists. A driving outlook of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton is based on concern for everyone, including present and future immigrants, as well as faith in international institutions such as the UN. By contrast, the standpoint of the successful Republican candidate, Donald Trump, is that the prime role of government is to protect its legal citizens and to respect and support feelings of patriotism and loyalty to country. A part of this clash between globalists and nativists takes the form of differing attitudes towards immigration, legal and illegal. Add the stultifying impact of restrictions on free speech associated with the widespread insistence that only politically correct comments can be made — anyone who questions the value of immigration or asks why illegal immigrants are not deported is immediately labelled racist, xenophobic or Islamophobic — and the scene is set for the impact of this clash to play out in the ballot box. The reality is that there are legitimate questions to ask about US immigration. • Why are there are 11 million illegal — the PC term is undocumented — immigrants in the US? • Why are so few of these illegal immigrants deported as the law provides? • Why is it that a rising share of illegal immigrants has lived in the US for more than a decade? • Why does Silicon Valley rely so heavily on the H-1B program (the equivalent of our 457 visa program) for its workforce? • What is the impact of immigration on local workers? When it came to the policy prescriptions being offered up by the two candidates, they were diametrically opposed. Clinton proposed a series of measures, including more executive actions, to allow illegal immigrants and their children to stay on in the US as well as obtain benefits available only to citizens and permanent residents. Trump proposed to cancel all the existing executive actions that have deferred the deportation of illegal immigrants as well as new measures — most notably the construction of a wall on the Mexico-US border — to deter the entry of new ones. (Most illegal immigrants in the US are Mexican.) Until fail-safe vetting mechanisms are available, he also suggested a moratorium on new immigrants from countries with high proportions of Muslim residents. It is tempting to describe Australia’s immigration policy as striking an appropriate balance between the nativist and globalist perspectives. By and large, illegal immigrant numbers are kept to a minimum and the permanent immigration program (presently with an annual intake of 190,000) is skewed towards those with skills. The formal humanitarian program caters for asylum-seekers, with the numbers kept at relatively modest levels. The annual intake is 13,750, rising to 18,750 in 2018-19. The intake of 12,000 refugees from Syria also has been announced. But in addition to these permanent immigrants, the number of temporary entrants to Australia has soared. In 2004-05, for instance, there were 49,000 457 visa entrants. In 2014-15, the number was 96,000, having peaked the previous year at 126,000. The number of working holiday-makers also has skyrocketed, more than doubling in the decade ending 2014-15. There were 226,000 working holiday entrants in 2014-15. The number of international students rose by more than 70 per cent between 2004-05 and 2014-15, reaching 300,000 in the latter year. All these temporary migrant categories are uncapped; as long as the applicant meets the conditions of the visa, then entry is granted. We are at the point that the number of new temporary immigrants is swamping the number of permanent entrants. But bear in mind that a high proportion of temporary immigrants apply to become permanent residents in due course. So what are the problems with our immigration program? They can be gauged only by moving away from the high-level descriptors and digging deeper by analysing the component parts. Take the employer-sponsored category of the skill permanent intake. There are 650 occupations listed on the Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List — many more than on the Skilled Occupation List used for the independent skill category — and the applicants need only minimal English proficiency. While it is true that the primary applicants under the skill category do well in the labour market, this is not so true of the secondary applicants who have the right to permanent residence as well. International students who have graduated are allowed to stay in Australia with full work rights for considerable periods. Increasingly, these graduates are using the family stream to secure permanent residence, rather than the skill category. When we look at the occupations of those who enter under the 457 visa category, we note that cook and cafe/restaurant manager are in the top three occupations. In fact, accommodation and food services is the industry with the largest percentage of 457 visa holders. Does anyone really think that cook and cafe/restaurant manager are occupations that can’t be filled by locals? And when it comes to the labour market experience and welfare dependency of those holding humanitarian visas, the outcomes are clear: extremely low rates of employment, even after years in Australia, and high rates of welfare dependence. The story that emerges at this more nuanced level is that employer sponsorship of immigrants, permanent and temporary, is scammed in many cases, oftentimes with linked ethnicity between the employer and the immigrant. It is also clear that being an international student is often seen as a pathway to permanent residence and recent changes to the regulations have facilitate this — a move much appreciated by the university sector. That there is some exploitation of international students working in part-time jobs is hardly surprising and again often occurs where there is an ethnic link between the employer and the worker. 7-Eleven stores are a case in point. Humanitarian visa holders impose a high fiscal burden on taxpayers and in Melbourne, at least, the criminal activities of the so-called Apex gang are giving asylum-seekers more generally a bad name in the eyes of the public. The underpricing of the contributory parent visa also is causing concern as it becomes clear that the elderly parents of migrants impose high costs on taxpayers. So before our politicians get too smug about our immigration program and contrast it with the divisiveness induced by immigration in the US, we need to face up to some hard cold facts. Arguably, our program is no longer working in the national interest. Rather, it is working to favour particular groups and to buy votes in certain electorates. My guess is that more people are beginning to appreciate this fact, particularly as they bear the costs of congestion, loss of amenity and safety, and declining housing affordability. Canberra insiders need to acknowledge this and start to remedy the deficiencies. Article Source: theaustralian ![]() About the Work Visa This visa is mainly concerned with the people that are interested in working in Australia on a temporary basis. This visa is only for four months. The skills workers can apply for this visa, to work for an approved business in Australia. The visa (subclass 457) is very beneficial, as the applicant can apply for this visa from anywhere in the world regardless of the place where the applicant is being the resident. Any approved business can sponsor a skilled worker in Australia. This visa(subclass 457) allows you to:
Before applying for the visa the applicant and the employer must fulfill some important tasks related to the visa (subclass 457) requirements. Employer Requirements The visa (subclass 457) is based on sponsorship, and the owner of the company in Australia must meet the terms as follow.
Requirements for Applicant The applicant after getting sponsorship from his employer needs to send copies of his valid passport and other documents to his employer. Then after that the employer will handle your documents to the visa authorities, to let them check. And then after the verification of your documents, you will be able to get a temporary work visa (subclass 457) in Australia. Procedure of Applying Visa The applicant should meet all the visa conditions. He must provide all the documents to the authorities to prove himself being a skilled worker in Australia. The applicant of the visa (subclass 457) must apply after getting all the related documents. Sometimes, in general, documents take the time to obtain from the sources. So he must be careful and apply after completing his all other related documents, along with the approval documents from the employer. Then the applicant after completing them, submit the documents along with the visa (subclass 457) charges. Along with the charges, the applicant also has to provide TRN (transaction reference number) to the authorities to check the nomination of the prospective employer. After Applying for the Visa When the applicant has provided all his documents, the Department of Immigration and Border Protections will start its process of verification of the provided documents. At the same time, you can make your documents more authentic by submitting the missing documents. Also by providing the information you haven't submitted. The Department of Immigration and Border Protections will start its process of verification of the provided documents and will thoroughly review your case and then it would be decided whether you are applicable to work in Australia or not. The applicant shouldn't be hasty as the process may take much time because; the verification process also includes health and character checks. Australian Nationality This is not the main issue for the visa, whether you are in Australia or outside from any other country around the globe. Conditions for Outsiders The applicants from the other countries must have to wait for the written statement from the Australian government. Till then, you must not make any type of arrangements like selling property; leave your job, booking for the tickets etc. You can make all kinds of arrangements after receiving the writing from the Australian government. Conditions for Insiders The applicants of the visa (subclass 457) residing in Australia must register themselves for the (bridging A) visa to move anywhere in Australia. The (bridging B) visa that allows you to move many times anywhere you want to go outside the Australia to apply for Australian Temporary Work (Skilled) Visa. SYDNEY — In Australia, the Chinese are the third biggest migrant group behind the British and those from New Zealand. But the pattern of new settlement has changed in past decades. In the 1970s and ‘80s there was an influx of those escaping Communism, while more recent arrivals are often wealthier, better skilled and are more sympathetic to the authorities back home. China is also Australia’s biggest trading partner.
Chinese New Year has become a glittering part of Sydney’s social calendar. There have never been more people of Chinese origin in Australia. They have a long history in this country, going back to the Gold Rush of the mid 1800s. These days Australia is actively recruiting wealthier business migrants from China, as well as tens of thousands of students. Wen Chen arrived in Australia three years ago and is a graduate from the University of Sydney, where she works as a special project officer at the China Studies Centre. She says she values her Chinese heritage. “I am an advocate for Chinese culture and traditions and all kind of knowledge and I am a proud Chinese (person) because I have a very positive perspective about Australian-China relationship and I feel good to help more people around me to get better knowledge about my country, so, yes, I am proud of that,” she said. The latest estimate suggests there are 1.2 million people of Chinese heritage in Australia, out of an overall population of 24 million. James Laurenceson from the University of Technology Sydney says the patterns of migration from China have changed in recent decades. “Earlier on it was mainly a humanitarian program - lots of Chinese immigrants coming under a refugee program, for example, in the late 1980s. Now it is firmly targeted towards skilled migrants and business migrants. So for example, in Australia we have a significant investment visa program, which is to attract overseas high-net worth individuals. 90 per cent of the applicants coming into Australia through that program are from China,” said Laurenceson. Multicultural Australia does have a racist underbelly and a survey last year found that more than a third of Chinese immigrants in Australia say they had faced discrimination. As well as prejudice, many older migrants from China had to overcome language problems and build new lives from scratch. John Zhang was a scientist when he arrived from Shanghai in 1989 seeking opportunity that he was lacking at home. He worked as a welder before starting an eyewear company that has close ties with China. “We can be like a bridge. We understand China, we understand Australia and sometimes we can promote the cultural exchanges, promote the business. And for the moment, for example, a lot of Chinese business, they want to invest in Australia but they don’t know how. They don’t understand the local regulations and we can help,” said Zhang. But China’s growing influence in Australia does have its challenges. The government recently blocked the sale of key electricity assets to Chinese firms on national security grounds. Other areas of contention are prime farmland and real estate. Helen Sham-Ho, one of Australia’s first Chinese MPs, who served in the New South Wales parliament in the late 1980s, believes investors from China are making housing here increasingly unaffordable. “This is bad influence and bad image for the Chinese though. They are not only just investors, some of them are residents or citizens admittedly, but they [have] got the money, they are so affluent, so they overbid all the locals. Of course, you get resentful because the market is no longer an Australian market, it becomes an investors’ market or really a Chinese market. It is not fair for the locals,” said Sham-Ho. But Australia is increasingly a magnet for wealthier migrants from China wanting to be part of one of the world’s most stable and prosperous nations. Article Source: voanews ![]() Making an important change in the points test for the Skilled Migration Program, Australia will now give five additional points to students of Australian institutions. The additional points will be available for students with doctorate-level and masters by research qualifications in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and information and communication technology fields. This change has come into effect on 10 September. The change is a part of the visa changes being brought under the National Innovation and Science Agenda in order to attract the “best and the brightest” skilled people to Australia. New Entrepreneur visa is available now Under the Business Innovation and Investment Programme, applications for the new Entrepreneur visa are being accepted now. This new visa will allow entrepreneurs with $200,000 in funding from specified third party to develop and commercialise their innovative ideas in Australia. The visa provides a pathway to permanent residency in Australia. To be eligible for the Entrepreneur visa, you must:
Article Via: sbs The latest changes in Australia’s student visa processing is causing delays and a big rise in visa application rejections, The Australian has reported. The new Simplified Student Visa Framework which aimed at making a complicated student visa process simpler, came into effect on 1 July 2016. However, it is now threatening the $18.5 billion international education sector in Australia. According to the news report, thousands of overseas students, particularly from China, are caught up in the complexities of the new system, forcing many educational institutions to postpone the course commencement. Australian Council of Graduate Research’s executive officer Fiona Zammitt told the Australian that concerns over the delays have prompted the Chinese Scholarship Council to recommend students seeking postgraduate education in Australia to look for other countries for their study. She said some applicants were waiting for up to nine months to hear the outcome of their visa applications. English Australia, a body of the colleges running English language colleges has termed the high visa rejections as a crisis. Brett Blacker, executive director of English Australia said the new system applied the same criteria to very low-risk students from Japan, for example, as to high-risk applications from Nepal or Pakistan. A Department of Immigration and Border Control spokesman acknowledged changes to the visa system had caused delays in processing of applications. He said the department aimed to finalise 75 per cent of complete applications within a month.
Under the Simplified Student Visa Framework, visa subclasses were reduced to study in Australia. International students can now apply for a single student visa- subclass 500, regardless of their chosen course of study. Article Via Source Many people were simply too embarrassed to publicly declare they were voting out. "I don't like [UKIP leader Nigel] Farage but he's got a point", explained one elderly man, who asked to remain anonymous. "The major parties aren't addressing immigration. Why should we remain in?" A few weeks later we were in working class Leeds, the other end of the country and social spectrum, yet the sentiment was surprisingly similar. "I don't want to say it loudly but I'm out", whispered one woman with a baby on her hip. "With all the new people, there ain't many jobs and I just can't see a good reason to stay." There are a variety of theories as to why Britons ultimately backed Brexit. They're all being fleshed out now over the sleepy weeks of summer by shocked commentators and pundits, who are still trying to work out how they got this campaign so badly wrong. Some blame Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for not doing enough, others accuse the Leave side of lying its way to victory. But as an outsider, I found the lack of a coherent Remain campaign on immigration startling. Remain camp lacked passion, coherenceIt was probably the biggest issue, yet when politicians, media pundits or punters raised concerns about EU migrants or asylum seekers, they were often labelled racists, shouted down or the topic was changed to the economy. Few Remain figures passionately and articulately argued for immigration and free movement until the last fortnight of the campaign. Perhaps this was because so few people thought Leave would win but it meant the public anxiety about migrants wasn't addressed head-on. Many wavering voters waited in relative silence before turning out in big numbers on polling day. Leave EU strategists, who caused controversy with the "breaking point" asylum seeker poster, believe they got stronger every time they were attacked, or derided, because although people were offended by some of their tactics the "basic underlying argument" about migrants struck a chord and was rarely challenged. So, would a different Remain campaign on immigration have changed the result? Maybe not. The outcome was influenced by a vast array of factors, not least that both sides of British politics have blamed the EU both fairly, and unfairly, for a variety of problems over several decades. Even before the campaign started, the Leave camp was on fertile ground. Lesson: Don't mock anti-immigration groupsBut if there is a lesson in Brexit for Australia's political class, it's probably that the concerns of anti-immigration groups, like One Nation, shouldn't be simply mocked, ridiculed or ignored.
One Nation has four senators. In comparison, UKIP, which former UK prime minister David Cameron once described as a bunch of "fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists", has just one representative in the House of Commons and three in the Lords — it also has 22 members in the EU Parliament. Yet the party's long running campaign played a major role in getting 52 per cent of voters to remove Britain from the EU. During the UK referendum campaign Australia's points based immigration system was put on a pedestal. Brexiteers, particularly Mr Farage and Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, lauded its ability to attract skilled workers and integrate new arrivals into society. At home however, the relative economic and social success of the bipartisan program is often overlooked. If One Nation is to be vanquished, a goal both major political parties have, then Australia's leaders could do worse than looking back at Brexit and fostering frank, fearless public debate. Article Via Source AUSTRALIA’S asylum seeker policy has been condemned both nationally and globally, but in some parts of the world it’s seen it as an aspiration. Over the weekend, a delegation of Danish parliamentarians were given the opportunity to visit Australia’s largest offshore detention centre in Nauru, to find out if they could adopt a similar policy in Europe. According to local media reports, six members of the Danish parliament’s Immigration and Integration Affairs Committee left for Nauru on Saturday to more closely examine Australia’s asylum seeker policy. The trip came just weeks after The Guardian published a shocking cache of leaked documents detailing the extent of human rights abuse and sexual assault claims. Martin Henriksen, a member of the far-right Danish People’s Party, said Denmark could take a similar approach to Australia and maintain offshore refugee camps in Kenya or Greenland. “Australia has found an interesting model,” he told Danish radio station 24syv. “The government will continuously assess different migration policies by looking at the experiences of other countries — including Australia.” WHERE DOES DENMARK STAND ON ASYLUM SEEKERS? Australia’s record on human rights has drawn international condemnation. Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2016 condemned our “abusive” approach to asylum seekers, as well as our “overly broad” counter-terrorism measures. Late last year, at a United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, council members from countries including Fiji, Egypt and Iran scolded Australia’s human rights record. But Denmark has increasingly come to see our policy as something to aspire towards. Last year, 20,000 asylum seekers applied for asylum in the Scandinavian country, which has a population of roughly 5.6 million. Mind you, this figure was far smaller than that of neighbouring Sweden, which recorded 163,000 arrivals, and Germany, which took in more than a million. Over the past year, the Danish government has employed a series of tactics which seem to state the country will not get overly complacent on its acceptance of refugees. Earlier this year, for example, the country sparked widespread outrage over a “jewellery bill”, which effectively allowed immigration authorities to confiscate valuables in exchange for their accommodation. In January, a bill to allow the government to confiscate migrants’ valuables exceeding $1450 was approved by 81 of the 109 politicians present. Likewise last August, the government cut social benefits for immigrants by 45 per cent, in a move marketed as an “integration benefit”. “The government will, as promised during the election, quickly implement a new integration benefit for new arrivals, in order to make Denmark a less attractive destination while making it more attractive to work and contribute to Danish society,” a press release from the Ministry of Employment stated. The government advertised the benefit cut in newspapers in Lebanon, which has a large refugee population. Similarly, a Danish city sparked controversy this year after it ordered pork to be mandatory on municipal menus, including for schools and daycare centres. Frank Noergaard, a member of the council in Randers that narrowly approved the decision, says it was made to ensure that pork remains “a central part of Denmark’s food culture”. Pork is the most popular meat in Denmark, but it is forbidden by adherents of Islam. Most of the asylum seekers who have sought refuge in Denmark have been Muslim, and according to the US Department of State, Islam is its second-largest religion, at around four per cent of the Danish population. DENMARK’S POWERFUL ANTI-IMMIGRATION GROUP The Danish People’s Party, the country’s second-largest political party, has been gaining increasing support since 1995. The party surprised opinion pollsters after bagging 21 per cent of the country’s votes in last year’s general election. The controversial group is best known for its anti-immigration stance, and has proposed legislation targeted specifically at adherents of Islam. Kenneth Kristensen Berth, the European Affairs spokesman for the party, has stated he is a “big fan” of Australia’s border policy, describing it as “very sensible”. “We need an Australia solution,” he told the ABC. “I think it’s the only possible solution. If you don’t do anything, then I think the European culture will evaporate in a couple of years.” Like how Australia processes asylum seekers offshore on Nauru, Mr Kristensen wants Denmark to send people to Greenland or an African country in exchange for aid money.
“We need to make it clear to these people that they cannot have a permanent life in a European country.” Last month, MP Søren Espersen proposed a blanket ban on all immigration from Muslim-majority countries in a controversial opinion piece called ‘Stop immigration from Islamic countries’. “We will have to change our way of life,” he wrote. “The first step is to stop being naive.” He said imams found to preach teachings in accordance with Islamic terrorism should have their citizenship revoked, and also proposed a “special obligation” on the Muslim community to report to the authorities if a young person ever showed signs of fanaticism, or else face “penalties”. His suggestion was blasted by members on both side of Danish politics. A couple of months ago, the party proposed to ban all school students from speaking Arabic in public schools. “If you live in Denmark, you should speak Danish,” Mr Henriksen told news agency Ritzau. “From what I hear, this is unfortunately a problem among students with Muslim backgrounds. There are certain languages belonging to certain cultures and that is what we are talking about.” The proposal did not pass through the stages of legislation. Article Via Source A landmark study will for the first time determine the prevalence of sexual assault and sexual harassment in Australian universities. The study, commissioned by Universities Australia – the peak body representing the university sector – is being conducted by the Australian Human Rights Commission. Students at the country’s 40 universities will be invited to answer the confidential survey, which will ask them about their experiences of sexual assault and sexual harassment. All student responses will be de-identified so that confidentiality and privacy are protected. The commission, rather than universities, will hold the data. The study is part of the Respect. Now. Always. campaign launched in February, which aims to raise awareness of sexual harassment, increase the profile of support services for students, and obtain prevalence data to guide university policies and services. The president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Gillian Triggs, said the findings would help address “the ad hoc nature of the understanding about the problem”. “Let’s get a real sense of what’s happening on the ground from students, and let’s use the evidence to inform university policy and to see whether those policies are meeting the needs of our students,” Triggs said. “We want nationally accurate data. I think each institution has attempted to deal with this issue in its own way, some better than others. There has been a falling back on this idea that the incidence of what is happening in universities is just a reflection of the incidence rate in the general community, or lower than that rate. “But the truth is we don’t know if that’s right or not. We don’t have the data.” The survey has been developed with input from experts from the Australian Human Rights Centre at the University of New South Wales, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Roy Morgan Research and the Australian Human Rights Commission. The chair of Universities Australia, Professor Barney Glover, said universities had a “zero tolerance” policy on sexual assault and sexual harassment. “This survey will give us an even clearer picture of further work we need to do,” Glover said. “University leaders are determined to use the survey results to keep improving our responses and the support we provide to students who have experienced sexual assault or harassment.” Our Watch CEO, Mary Barry, said there remained a myth that “boys can’t help themselves, so it’s up to girls to avoid any unwanted sexual activity”. “A girl is likely to be held solely responsible if she is assaulted or raped, because she ‘didn’t stand up for herself’ or ‘was dressed inappropriately’.” Barry said. “This feeds into sexual stereotypes and rape myths, which unfortunately are internalised by girls as well as boys. The reality is that only rapists are responsible for rape.” A survey of 1,926 University of Sydney students published in May found one in four reported having experienced an incident of sexual harassment or assault as a student, and 6% of all respondents had experienced an incident on campus or at a university-related event.
The survey also revealed that only 18.9% of students who had experienced an incident reported it to anyone. In the same month, the journal of Wesley College, a privately operated residential facility on the campus, was widely criticised for naming female students with the “best ass”, “best cleavage” and as the “biggest porn star”. The college refused to cooperate with a campus investigation. Article Via Source |
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October 2016
CategoriesGovt to review immigration numbers
![]() The Immigration Minister says the government will review the number of immigrants entering the country, but he does not expect the policy to change.
A record 69,000 people settled in New Zealand in the year to July. That broke a run of consecutive monthly gains that lasted 23 months and reached a high of 69,100. On a monthly basis, the number of people coming to live in New Zealand, or New Zealanders returning home fell slightly to 5600. The minister, Michael Woodhouse, told TVNZ's Q + A programme this morning the numbers for the new residents programme would be reviewed by Cabinet in the next month or so. At present it is set between 45,000 and 50,000. The planning range is set over a two-year period, which expired at the end of June. Mr Woodhouse said in most of the past 10 years there had been considerably fewer new residents than the current number. Labour Party leader Andrew Little had previously said there was a mismatch between immigration and labour market needs with workers being brought in from overseas to fill jobs while thousands of New Zealand labourers were unemployed. Real estate company Harcourts, meanwhile, blamed record immigration and poor planning for the country's housing shortage. Article Source: radionz |